


The Other Side of Me

by LuliaRayaGrace



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Boarding School, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Race Mush and Davey go to boarding school, Race's dad is a MOB boss, mafia, the rest don't
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-03-02 22:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13328040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuliaRayaGrace/pseuds/LuliaRayaGrace
Summary: Race has a secret that only Mush knows about, and he really wishes Mush didn't know about it. Because this secret could get him killed.





	1. Chapter 1

“Tony! Have you seen my left shoe?” Davey yelled running around their dorm room. 

“It’s under Mush’s bed,” Race said sitting on his own bed tying his shoes that had not been lost this morning. Mush was standing near the door bouncing from one foot to the other, with his backpack over his shoulder.

“Why is it under my bed?” Mush asked perplexed as Davey bent down and pulled the missing shoe from under Mush’s bed, where Race said it was. “And how did you know it was there Tony?”

“It’s Davey’s shoe, not mine,” Race said standing up and moving beside Mush as David finished putting his shoe on.

Dave raced to follow his two roommates out of the dorm and down the hall heading to class. “So, I’m going home this weekend,” Davey said excitedly.

“Dave, you go home every weekend,” Mush laughed as the group led the dormitory and stepped out onto the main lawn of the private boarding school they all attended.

“Ya, but my mother said that you guys could come home with me this weekend,” David explained as the group made their way to their first class of the day. All of their schedules were aligned so they were in the same classes.

“Like leave campus?” Race asked sitting down. “I’m not sure I’m allowed too?” 

“Tony your parents live on the other side of the country. I’m pretty sure you can do whatever you want,” Mush laughed. 

“So it’s a yes then?” Davey asked excitedly.

“Sure, Dave we’ll come home with you this weekend,” Mush answered overjoyed. “Won’t we Tony?”

“Ya, sure. Whatever,” Race mumbled trying to pay attention to what his teacher was saying.

*****

“I will never get sick of your car,” David said as Race pulled up in front of David’s parent's apartment complex.

“Dave you tell me this everytime you ride in my car,” Race laughed stepping out of the car as David and Mush got out of the other side. Race opened the back door on his side and grabbed his backpack throwing it over his back. Mush had his own as well, but Davey didn’t because he was going to his own house and didn’t need to bring anything.

“Come on, Mom wants to meet you guys,” Dave said, quickly entering the building and heading up the stairs. Race and Mush laughed before following Davey. David pushed open the door to his apartment yelling, “Mom I’m home!”

“David Allen don’t yell!” David’s mother yelled back from the kitchen.

“I brought Tony and Mush home this weekend,” Davey said leading his friends into the Kitchen where his mother was covered in flour.  
“Oh,” She said quickly wiping her hands on her jeans, “Sorry for the mess boys, I’m Caroline Jacobs.”

“Anthony Higgins, Mrs. Jacobs,” Race said shaking her hands.  
“Please call me Caroline. Mrs. Jacobs makes me seem old,” She said laughing before for shaking Mushes hand.

“Michael ‘Mush’ Meyers, malady,” Mush said quickly.

“It is very nice to have you two this weekend. David, Jack called today asked you to come over as soon as you got home,” Caroline said going back to her cooking.

“Jack?” Mush asked confused.

“Ya, I’ll head over in a minute, I guess. They were gonna have to meet them sooner or later,” Davey said heading for his room. Race and Mush followed him. “Here put your stuff in here. We’ve got to go check on my friend Jack.”

*****

Dave lead Race and Mush to Jack's apartment building down the street. David knocked on the door to have it answered by Crutchie who gave him a quick “Hi” before heading back inside the apartment.

“Dave, who are these people,” Race said grabbing Davey’s shoulder before he entered.

“My friends from when I went to public school,” Dave answered before disappearing through the door. Race and Mush shared a quick glance at each other before heading inside the apartment themselves.

Jack was sat on the couch, Spot on the other end, with Crutchie between the two. Blink, Albert, and Romeo where all sat on the other couch. Race and Mush stood behind the two couches, out of sight as Davey talked with all the boys who adorned the couches.

“Davey, you need to come home more often,” Jack pleaded before standing up and lightly kissing David, then returning to do the same to Crutchie.

Mush and Race’s faces were filled with shock at this point. Dave looked directly at the two of them before saying, “Not a word about this to anyone at school.” This caused everyone who was sat on a couch to turn around to look a the two unexpected guests.

“And this would explain the shoe,” Race laughed.

“How does this have anything to do with my missing shoe!” Dave exclaimed.

“Everything Dave, everything,” Mush laughed.

“You two are impossible,” Dave said.

“No that is Tony, not me I’m innocent,” Mush said raising his hand in surrender as all of Davey’s friends still watched with confusion.

“Ya wanna tell Tony who touched his sticks then,” David challenged.

“You touched my sticks,” Race said pointing at Mush, before throwing his best friend over his shoulder.

Mush grabbed Race's phone out of his back pocket as it beeped. "Race, why are all your texts always in so dumb secret code!"

Race set Mush down taking his phone from him before seeing it was a text from his father in Italian. "Mush, it ain't code ya, idiot. You know what those ones look like. This one is in Italian."

"Well, they all look the same to me," Mush exclaimed as the rest of the room still looked on at the two with curiosity. 

"Wait, I'm confused," Albert said standing up from the couch and standing beside Davey, "Who are these people?"

"Oh, these are my roommates from school. Anthony Higgins and Michael 'Mush' Meyers," Davey said quickly.

"I'm Mush and that's Tony. He is mostly a grump," Mush said laughing while walking up to stand next to Davey.

"I am not a grump, Mush. It's just that my idea of fun and your idea, seem to be completely different things," Race said stand beside Mush with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ya, cause your idea involves taking people out left and rig-" Mush was cut off as Race quickly wrapped his arm around Mush's head covering his mouth with his hand, silencing him.

"What did he just say?" Spot asked carefully. 

"Nothing of your concern," Race said releasing Mush, followed by wiping his hand on his pants, removing the salvia from Mush mouth off his hand.

"Tony's a ninja!" Mush yelled before moving David in between himself and Race.

"I should have left you two at school," David laughed before sitting between Jack and Crutchie.

"So, Dave ya got yourself a couple friends, there," Race laughed.  
"Oh, this is Crutchie and Jack. Spot is the one on that end of the couch. And over there is Romeo, Albert, and Blink," Davey said pointing to each person.

"So this is where you scrabble off to every weekend when you leave me to babysit Mush," Race said.

"You don't babysit me, more often it is my job to make sure you don't end up dead somewhere yourself," Mush said timidly.

Mush was the only one who knew about Race’s secret. Race’s father was the head of a Mafia that ran out of southern California, where Race was originally from. But with the hopes of Race gaining a good education without the interruptions that came with his father’s line of work, Race was sent to a boarding school on the other side of the country. The only reason Mush knew was that he stumbled upon the gun that was kept under Race’s bed in case of an emergency.


	2. Chapter 2

“Tony, I swear to god put your phone away, you are worst then a teenage girl,” Davey chastised.

“Sta 'zitto, I’m texting my dad,” Race replied as Spot walked behind Race’s seat on the couch glancing at his phone.

“Mush wasn’t lyin’ when he said you texted in code,” Spot laughed making his way back to the other couch.

“It’s just Italian, I’m sorry I was raised in an Italian household,” Race grumbled plunking at his phone.

“An Italian ninja household,” Mush laughed from his spot beside Race. Race quickly hit Mush upside the head without looking up from his phone. This causing Jack to crack up laughing.

“Davey, you really should have brought these two over sooner. They’re funny,” Jack laughed.

“Wait, Tony are you really a ninja?” Crutchie asked.

“OMG, no I’m not a ninja. Don’t listen to whatever Mush says about me most of it isn’t true. Unlike Dave’s missing shoe,” Race laughed looking up from his phone.

“It was one time,” David grumped slouching back into the couch while crossing his arms over his chest.

“Only until it happens again,” Race whispers.

“I swear if your two hide my shoes,” Davey warns. Race and Mush quickly glanced at each other before bursting out laughing. “I live with two idiots.”

“Hey, I have a 3.9 GPA so be nice,” Race mumbled, “Somehow?”

“Ya, I don’t know how because you suck at every class we share,” Mush laughed. 

“Wait, Tony. What did you say your last name was?” Blink asked looking up from his phone.

“Higgins, why are you asking?” Race answered perplexed at what he was asking.

“Do you live in New York full time?” Albert asked looking at Blink's phone and quickly back to Race.

“No, not during the summer. Then I go back home,” Race said, “Once again, why are you asking?” Tony was quickly becoming defensive, his carefree demeanor fading.

“And where is home?” Blink asked.

“Why do you care,” Race said not giving the two any clues to go on.

“Would home be in San Francisco, California?” Albert asked.

“How do you know this,” Race grumbled.

“Tony, you need to calm down,” Mush said reaching for his friend only to have him quickly stand from the couch and cross the room to the couch where the two of them were seated.

“Don’t you dare think about disrespecting me or my family. We have the power that I’m not afraid to use,” Race said sternly before turning to Mush, “Mush I’m going back to school. You can either stay here with David or come back with me. Dave I’ll be back Sunday night to take you to school.”

Mush quickly stood and followed Race out the door. Davey looked between his friends frightened.

******

“Dave, what’s wrong?” Crutchie asked.

“Blink, Albert. I’ve never seen him get that worked up,” Davey said looking at the now closed door, “Only once on the phone with his father on the phone, but then I had no idea what he was saying because it was all in Italian.”

“Dave, how much do you know about his family?” Blink asked.

“Not much. I know they are strongly Italian, and they live in San Francisco. Tony has an older brother named Giuseppe and two younger sisters named Giada and Alessandra. Why?” Davey said from his seat in between Crutchie and Jack.

“Take out your phone and look up ‘Higgins’,” Albert instructed.

Davey took out his phone typing in the word and was surprised at the results he got, “Higgins crime family avoids another close shave with the police,” Davey mumbled opening the link.

_ The notorious Higgins crime family avoided another huge bust again this weekend. The Higgins family, the Italian crime family, is run out of somewhere in San Francisco, California. The exact location is unknown and is kept under lock and key, only known to the family and those trusted extremely closely. _

_ The family is thought to be run by Alessandro Higgins and his wife Giulia. Together these two have four children, Giuseppe Agnola; 20, Antonio Giulia; 17, Giada Augustine; 15, and Alessandra Giovanni; 12. Giuseppe is said to work closely with his father in the family business, while, Antonio, Giada, and Alessandra are scattered throughout the country at many high-class schools in hope of keeping them out of the business until it is their time or they are endangered.  _

_ This past weekend there was a minor scuffle with the family. The cops arrived on the scene only to find the retreating figure of Giuseppe. The boy quickly outran them leaving them with a dead end. _

“I had no idea,” Davey said passing the phone to Jack so he could read the story as well.

“Do you think Mush knows?” Blink asked, “It might explain why he calls Tony’s family ninjas.”

“Oh he definitely knows, and when they were talking about texts in code. Tony told him it was in Italian and he should know what the coded ones look like,” Crutchie said.

“I’ve been living with the son of a crime boss,” Dave mumbled leaning over, balancing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, “How did I not know?”

“You introduced him as Anthony and not Antonio,” Spot said.

“Because that’s the name on the door of our room, what he writes on all of his assignments. It’s the only name I’ve known him as,” Davey explains still staring at the carpet, “He has this whole other side of his life from me.


	3. Chapter 3

“Tony?” Mush said from the passenger seat, “Do you think they will figure it out?”

“They probably already have,” Race answered not looking away from the road, “It’s not like I hide it. I mean yes, I go by Antony instead of Antonio at school. But all you have to do is look up my last name and then you know everything about my family and what we do. I’m not proud of it, but it’s how I was raised.”

“Will they have to meet your father, like I did?” Mush asks.

“I remember that. You thought he was going to kill you or something,” Race laughed.

“Dude, your dad is intimidating on the outside. I mean have you seen him,” Mush gushed.

“I live with him.”

“But then I learned that he is honestly a big teddy bear. And also about your nickname that is only used around the house, Racetrack,” Mush laughed.

“I wish, Giuseppe wouldn’t call me that when your around,” Race mumbled.

“Giuseppe taught me how to shoot the type of gun that you keep under your bed for protection,” Mush laughed as his phone rang. Mush pulled it out to see that it was Davey who was calling him. He quickly answered it, while turning it on speaker so Race could hear as well.

“Mush is Antonio with you?” Davey asked.

“Yep, they definitely know,” Mush laughed.

“Shut up, would ya. Or else I will drive you to the compound,” Race said.

“Dude yes,” Mush said excitedly.

“You really love my family don’t you,” Race laughed.

“Giada and Alessandra are so fun,” Mush gushed.

“Fun for you, they are at school. All who would be home is me and Giuseppe.”

“Mush, is this call on speaker?” Dave asked.

“Yes it is Dave,” Race answered, “and by now I’m gonna bet that you all know my secret.”

“Yes we do,” Dave replied, “Why did Mush already know?”

“Well you see one day, He was looking for his homework under my bed and ended up finding the gun that is kept under it for emergencies,” Race explained.

He wasn’t prepared for the outburst that would follow from Davey, “You have a gun in our room!”

“Dave there’s a tiny one in my backpack and also two more in my car. The car you rode down in, that also is made with bulletproof glass,” Race said.

“And that isn’t weird that your car has bulletproof glass in it?” Davey asked.

“Not really. Davey, you have to realize that this is normal for me. This was how I was raised, guns and bulletproof glass. I lived in a compound for most of my life, having to know multiple codes to enter special rooms. Knowing locations of multiple safe houses, knowing who is safe to call in emergencies and how not call the police. I was taught how to dismantle and rebuild guns by the time I was three, by four being able to shoot them,” Race explained, “So no I don’t think its weird that my car has bulletproof glass, and now that you know my secret I expect all of you to be at JFK Airport at 9 am tomorrow because it’s time for you to meet the rest of my family. Just as Mush did when he first found out.”

*****

“Racer,” Giuseppe yelled running down the stairs of the private plane to engulf his younger brother in a hug, “Mushed Potatoes.” He laughed turning to pull Mush into the hug as well. “Race, why is it always all of your friends find out our secret.”

“Hey, at least this time they didn’t find a gun under my bed. You can blame the internet this time,” Race laughed punching his brother in the shoulder. The three laughed exchanging stories as a beat up minivan pulled up to the runway. Davey stepped out followed by Crutchie, Jack, Spot, Blink, Romeo, and Albert.

“This all of them?” Giuseppe asked.

“Yep, this is all of them,” Race answered before following his brother onto the plane with the rest of the group following. “Who is the pilot today?”

“I am,” Giuseppe laughed walking up to the cockpit.

“Dad, let you get flying lessons,” Race laughed, “Next thing you know Aless will get her unicorn.”

“Shut up and go talk to your friends before Mush convinces them that we really are ninjas,” Giuseppe instructed while starting the plane.

“Mush, you have been to the compound you know there are no ninjas there,” Race chastized sitting down beside him, “Now tell them something informational while I go change into proper attire for the compound and then you can change.”

Race headed to the back of the plane, slipping out of his jeans, tee shirt and flannel. He quickly changed into a black Henley and black cargo pants. He sat down on the bench and lanced up his pair of also black combat boots, sliding a small knife into the hidden pocket of his boots. Next, he slid his belt into place that held both of his guns on his hips. Race took the earpiece pack labeled with his name off the wall. Sliding the pack into the holder on his belt while running the wires up the back of his shirt and placing the earpiece in his right ear.

Race headed back to the main part of the plain to find Mush telling some over exaggerated story about going to Mcdonalds. “Go get changed,” Race laughed hitting Mush on the side of his head.

“Yes, mother,” Mushed laughed before going to get changed.

“So this is your life?” Davey said looking at Race’s outfit most pointedly this guns on his hips.

“No, Dave. This is my legacy,” Race standing up, “You will learn very quickly that what my family does is taken very seriously. We take great pride and care in what we do.”

At this time Mush returned dress similarly to Race, except without the earpiece in place yet. “A little help, Racer?” Mush asked holding out the pack.

“Turn around, Potatoes,” Race laughed taking the pack from Mush. Race quickly got him set up and turned on.

“I don’t understand how you deal with all these people talking in your ear all the time,” Mush grumbled sitting down on the couch.

“I’ve had one of these in my ear since I was two, you learn to tune them out most of the time,” Race said sitting beside Mush.

“So, Mush is a part of this whole ordeal as well?” Crutchie asked.

“Just like you all will be soon,” Race answered.

“Wait what?” Jack said.

“You don’t want to be part of the most powerful family in the USA,” Mush said surprised.

“I’m not going to join some crime family and give up my entire life for the trading of drugs,” Jack yelled.

Race quickly had a gun out and pointed at Jack, “Jack, I’m going to advise you not to say that again especially when you are in the presence of my father and we don’t deal with drugs. Drugs ruin families and people lives. We’re not a part of that, we don’t compend ruining lives.” Race slipped the gun back to its holster almost as fast as he had pulled it out.


End file.
